DODGERS: Rollins seizes opportunity to be opening day hero

The Dodgers' Jimmy Rollins, right, is congratulated by Joc Pederson, center, and Andre Ethier after hitting a three-run home run during the eighth inning Monday that ultimately gave the Dodgers a 6-3 win over the Padres.

Given the sheer number of new faces on both teams, opening day between the Dodgers and San Diego Padres was an open audition for someone to play the hero for his new team. Jimmy Rollins won the role with a tie-breaking three-run home run in the eighth inning that sent the Dodgers to a 6-3 victory over the Padres on Monday afternoon at Dodger Stadium.

“It’s not the first home run I’ve hit and not the first one to win a game,” Rollins said afterward, his wide smile making it clear this one was still special in its own way. “Hopefully, it’s something we can get used to.”

The Dodgers have gotten used to Clayton Kershaw dominating the spotlight on opening day. But the reigning National League MVP and Cy Young Award winner ceded center stage this time with Matt Kemp getting the better of him.

Kershaw had allowed just one run in 25 1/3 innings over his previous four opening day starts. This time, the Padres got to him for three runs on six hits in six innings. Kemp drove in all three runs in his first game as a Padre and first game back at Dodger Stadium as the enemy.

“He’s a good hitter. He got the best of me today,” a gruff Kershaw said in a brief postgame interview. “I’ve got a lot of years left to face him, hopefully, so I have to start figuring out ways to get him out.”

Kemp bounced an RBI single through the middle of the infield to drive in the Padres’ first run in the first inning. Later he slapped a two-run double into the left-field corner that gave his new team a 3-2 lead in the fifth.

“Honestly, Matt’s strengths and what Clayton does cross paths,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. “It’s kind of a ‘Clash of the Titans’ really, where Clayton likes to pitch and where Matt likes the ball. It was one of those matchups for me. … Clayton’s going to do what he does and Matt does what he does.”

Back-to-back two-out doubles by Adrian Gonzalez and Howie Kendrick tied the game in the seventh inning and set up Rollins’ heroics.

Joc Pederson led off the eighth with a walk and moved into scoring position when Padres reliever Shawn Kelley fumbled the toss from first baseman Yonder Alonso on a weak grounder by Andre Ethier.

That brought up Rollins with two on and one out. He quickly fell behind 0-2.

“I came out early a little bit overaggressive,” Rollins said. “After the second swing, it kind of calmed me down. I told myself to slow everything down. He started bouncing a couple balls and got me back into the count.”

Six pitches later, Rollins ripped a low-inside fastball into the seats down the right-field line.

“He battled,” said Kendrick, who was 2 for 4 with a double, triple, RBI and run scored in his debut as a Dodger. “He got a pitch he could handle and he didn’t miss it. That was a veteran at-bat. He fouled off those sliders and got a pitch in the honey hole – that’s what we call it – and he didn’t miss.”

With a three-run lead, the first save opportunity of the season with Kenley Jansen out went to Chris Hatcher. After hitting the first batter he faced, Hatcher closed it out for his first career save.

“It’s one game, obviously,” Mattingly said. “But (Hall of Famer) Don Newcombe told me before the game if we didn’t win this one, we couldn’t win them all.”

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